A Year In Review: Top RoadRUNNER Tours of 2023

Stories from the road are what we are known for. We don't just write about places that we think might be interesting to visit, we actually ride there. When you read RoadRUNNER's tour editorial, you know our team of experienced motorcycle travel journalists have put the place through it's paces and they are ready to tell you all the juicy details—good and bad.

The following featured tour articles, in no particular order, are some of our favorites published in 2023.  If you haven't caught them all over the course of the year, now is a great time to catch up. We hope you enjoy.

Ukraine's Heart of Darkness

We spent the next few hours in a bubble of taking photos and shooting video of the harvest. Kiran climbed on the whirring, thrashing combines while I hitched a ride on a waiting truck as it transported the grain to a storage barn. The farmers were happy to share their stories and their work. The moments slid by with smiles and a warm sense of connection. Then, out of nowhere, a dark storm cloud floated across the sun, stripping away the warmth, color, and joy. It came in the shape of a phone call to our fixer, Andriy, from our contact in Lviv—20 dead, 50 wounded, and the numbers were rising.

Getting High in Colorado

We continued flirting with the tree line as we descended into the town of Tincup and made our way through the valley floor toward Cottonwood Pass. The stunning views were never-ending and groves of brilliant yellow aspen trees remained constant. They contrasted against the rugged gray landscape and dark evergreens more sharply thanks to the low-hanging clouds we’d been riding under for most of the day.

ZenMoto: On The Tracks of Pirsig

In 1968, a technical writer from Minnesota left Minneapolis on his 1966 Honda CB77F Super Hawk with his 11-year-old son Chris as pillion. The two had a pair of Harley-Davidson beetle bags and a mountain of gear strapped to their 305cc, 28 hp motorcycle. This was the start of a long roadtrip to California and back.

This five part series follows the route of Robert Pirsig, famous author of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.

Chile: Rewards and Just Desserts

With 10,000 miles clocked on the odometer since kick-starting our trip in South America five months ago, I’d stopped seeing it as an extended vacation. Traveling had become a way of life for Jason and me. The honeymoon period wasn’t over—it was a new chapter, having learned the ropes of moto travel. By journeying into the unknown and coping with all the twists and turns, we’d been gifted sublime experiences, mingled with the odd misadventure. Pearl, my bike, is infinitely more than my trusty steed: she’s my home, a people-pulling icebreaker, a “get out of jail free” card, and sometimes a life raft.

Texas: The Mysteries of Caddo Lake

Caddo Lake sits on the border between Texas and Louisiana, a maze of tight waterways, cypress trees, and abundant wildlife. It’s often called the only natural lake in Texas, but as with all Texas tales, that may or may not be accurate. Regardless, it’s a perfect spot for a weekend adventure. For full effect, pack your camping gear and turn your tires toward Karnack, TX, and make Caddo Lake State Park your base of operations.

Along the Waterways of Ohio

As Florian and I saddle up in Zanesville for our Ohio roundtrip, it occurs to me that the Buckeye State often doesn’t get its due. Phrases like, “flyover country,” “your hometown river is flammable,” “mistake on the lake,” and “Hey, at least we’re not Michigan,” don’t exactly invite tourism.

But could these naysayers be uninformed or just wrong? Well, we intend to find out.

North East Backcountry Discovery Route

As I turned, I noticed a small dark spot under the bike. My heart sank. Thick and sticky red Motul 7100 was dripping off my skid plate and pooling on the gravel below. My oil pressure sensor had failed catastrophically, bleeding oil down the side of my engine as if it were a faithful old warhorse wounded in battle. Luckily, we were only a few miles from Putney, and Caleb was able to tow me and my stricken motorcycle to the Putney General Store, where we set up shop on the sidewalk. I knew Vermont was known for its general stores, but this wasn’t exactly how I envisioned experiencing my first one.

Hot Springs, North Carolina Shamrock Tour®

I was wrapping up another season of selling pumpkins and staring down the barrel of an open calendar when the Yamaha Ténéré 700 began to take on a life of its own from the bits and pieces I was adding to it for the trip. October is the month to experience the autumn leaves and final days of warmer weather on two wheels in western North Carolina. But for me, the first week of November has been better over the years because I’ve sold pumpkins throughout my life across the 31 glorious days of October. Living in an open field surrounded by a sea of pumpkins, gourds, and corn creations has a way of putting you in another world—but it’s good to have a way to detach from it when it’s all over.

Santa Maria Valley, California Shamrock Tour®

You think you know a place, but a simple detour can miraculously reveal some genuine charms you had no idea existed. Since 2000, I’ve been riding past Santa Maria and its neighboring Orcutt on my regular jaunts to northern California, never venturing beyond the gas stations along US 101 which skirts these cities. So, this Shamrock Tour®, based in the lovely 12-room boutique Wine Stone Inn in Orcutt, had plenty of total surprises in store for me.